Used car guide

2014 MINI Roadster: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2014 MINI Roadsters, from 1,189 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

1,189MOT tests in 2025
78%pass first time (all 2014 cars: 69%)
4,900typical miles a year
2.4×the usual rate for brake lights

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2014 MINI Roadsters than on all cars registered in 2014.

  • Brake lights2.4× usual
    MINI Roadster
    7.1% All 2014 cars
    2.9%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3%, against 2.2% of all 2014 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

  • Wheels3.2× usual
    MINI Roadster
    4.1% All 2014 cars
    1.3%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.3%, against 0.4% of all 2014 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £70–£150 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

Better than most

Suspension arm bushes and joints: 3.4% here, against 8.2% of all 2014 cars. Coil springs: 2.8% here, against 6.8% of all 2014 cars.

By area

The share of 2014 MINI Roadster MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    28% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    23% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Lights and electrics
    20% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Suspension
    15% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    7% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    5% of testsRough price £80–£600

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

Looking at a MINI Roadster?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20151,055Tyres 26%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2014 MINI Roadsters registered in 2014. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score